Oven-shelf handle



June 1 41926.

1,587,350 w. PARKE l ovm SHELF HANDLE IFiled Feb. 25, 19 s 77 ZZ* Y I Patented June l, 1926.

issisa UITED STATES PTEN' @lllflli WILLIAM PARKE, OF NEW YORK, N. `Y., ASSIGNOR vI WILLIAM PARKE, INCOR- PORATED, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORIOBA'JCLON- OF DELAARE.

OVEN-SHELF HANDLE.

Application field February 25, 1926.

This invention relates to handles for oven shelves and has for its object the provision of a handle of improved construction which affords a complete control of the shelf, and

which 's simple in structure, convenient to use, light in weight, and lo-w in cost of manufacture.

4ln carrying on baking or roasting' operations in domestic ovens it is frequently necessary to inspect the food while it is cooking and this is usually done at present either by removing` the individual cooking receptacles, or the oven shelf upon which they rest, entirely from the oven, or, in an oven which is equipped with a drop door forming a shelf when open, to suoli shelf. In either ease it is customary to use cloths, or holders7 for protecting the hands from the heat and the use of such means of protection necessarily results in an inadequate control over the articles being removed from the oven. As a consequence the hands are lilrely to be burned by contact vith the hot receptacles or with parts of the stove itself.

By means of the present invention this danger is largely overcome by providing a tong-like handle of appropriate construction and by employing an oven shelf of suitable structure to be engaged by this handle so that by using one or more of the handles the oven shelf can be entirely removed from the oven unoer complete control. In devising a handle and oven shelf of this Vcharacter' it is important not only to provide a. suitable co- 3-5 action between the handle and the shelf to effect the lifting of the shelf, such as the or dinary stove lid lift working on the crow-bar principle, but in addition to such a lifting engagement to provide adequate means of simple arrangement which effectively pre vents the handle from lateral angular movement witlrrespeet to the shelf, and maintains the handle firmly in a position where it projects perpendieularly fromthe edge of the shelf.

The present invention includes the constructing of a handle with a pair of coacting levers each provided with a jaw portion having a pocket on the under-sido and a laterally projecting prong beyond this pocket, and the oven shelf is constructed with spaced transverse and longitudinal bars. The levers of the handle, when placed in operative relation to the shelf are s' aced in relation to one another so as to e ect a passing over one' of the Serial No. 90,454.

lifting connection. with the shelf at two spaced points and thereby to aff-ord a positive control of the shelf by the handler. The jaw portion of each lever engages the shelf with a crow-bar lifting action, the jaws transverse bars of the shelf and the laterally projecting prongs passing beneath a pair of the spaced longitudinal bars. The pockets referred to are provided one on each lever in proximity to the point of contact of the jaw portion with the transverse bar of the shelf, and are of appropriate construction to include an abutment which cooperates with the transverse bar to maintain the handle in perpendicular relation to the edge of the shelf. rhere is thus also provided a positive engagement with the shelf by which a sliding movement in either direction may be imparted to the shelf by means of the handle.

Because of the ability to slide the shelf by the handle, this handle may be eonven iently employed with the improved oven support described in my copending application Serial No. 86,463, filed February 6, 1926. The invention will be better understood by referring toV the accompanying drawings showing by way of example one embodiment thereof. In these drawings- Fig. l. is a perspective view of the handle, its releasing` position being shown by dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a shelf` with the handle applied thereto; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 to illustrate in detail the connection between the handle and the' shelf.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings the oven shelf itself, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, has a rim portion l() of metal rod or wire of suitable gauge to give the required strength, which is bent into rectangular or other appropriate shape to conform to the oven. This rim thus provides the front and rear transversely extending bars 11 and 12 respectively as well as transversely extending bars 13 and lll which constitute the side edges of the shelf,`the ends of the rim l0 being welded together so as to give strength by providing a continuous rim portion.

Longitudinally extending bars or rods l5 are secured at their ends to the front and rear'ba-rs l1 and l2. These longitudinal bars l5 may be secured in place by welding and are suitably spa-.ted to provide a grid-like shelf which will serve as a convenient support for such cooking receptacles as are ordinarily placed Within a domestic oven, and at the saine time allow for the relatively free circulation ot the heated air and vapors. `l`hese longitudinal bars may conveniently be if son'ievfhat smaller gauge than the rim portion lll. dditioual transverse bars may be provided in parallel relation to bars 11 ann 1&1 it desired for the purpose of securing additional rigidity.

"he handle fo' the shelf just described, as het` sifiin in lfiggj. 1y comprises a pair 1j lere le, each p 'ovided ivith jaiv lustrated, by 21, and a lat t fil gar-J.

"illhen the handle applied to the shelf as may be seen in Figs. l and 3, the prongs il?, ear upwardly against the bottoms of a pair of adje :ent longitudinal bars 15. The angular bends 2O and 21 forming the pocltet 1f) contact with the front and upper surfaces of tle longitudinal bar 11 s0 as to positively engage this bar and holdL the handle iu extended position in perpendicular relation to the bar 11 when viewed from the top as shovrn ii 2. rllhus the jaw portions 17 engage the shelf with a crowbar like action and this action is supplenient the l the( ed by the eoaction of pockets 19 with )ar 11 to hold the handle in positive `ement With the shelf s as to enable a sliding` movement to be positively impartco to the shelf by the handle., as Well as enabling; the shelf to be lifted by the handle.

ln bringing` the handle into engagement h the shelf the levers 1G are squeezed tosonierchat by the pressure of the ha id o as to bring;` the levers into approximately the dotted position as shown in lfie'. 1. rl`he )ronpjs 22 are of such length that when, the levers 1G are squeezed toeetler so tl at touch one another; the ende of the pro Y vrill not freely pass between adjacent bars 15. but by a slight tvvist of the handle. prongs .22 may be readily inforted beneath these ba ivit a "While this conrru ltion not absolutely essential` it is desirable because in lifting` the shelf when it is heavily loaded there may be a slight tendency to squeeze the arms 16 together, and by making the prongs 22 relatively long the likelihood of accidental disengaginn` of the handle from the shelf 1s substantially nil. Furthermore, this construction facilitates the placing' of the handle upon the shelf because even a slight releasing of the levers 1G brings the ends of prongs Q2 into coaetien with the under-surfaces of the bainA 15. rlhe removal of the handle from the shelf is accomplished in a manner which-is the reverse of that just described.

The oven shelf handle, because of its engagement with the shelf at spaced horizontal points, and because of the construction involving the pockets 1t) and the prongs 2:2 enables the shelf to be conveniently and positively handled or controlled when it is desired to remore it from the oven.. itl-oreover7 the shelf being firmly engaged by the pockets 19 and pronojs 29, an be slid iu and out of the oven Vith precision so that the oven can be slid part way out if desired for an inspection during;` the baking operation. lt ivill be noted by referring` t0 lligr, B that the. points of contact of the handle Witii the shelf are such that the levers 1G extend ai'ay from the shelf at an angle to the horizontal. By arranging; the handle and shelf in this mannen danger of burning the hands is reduced when attempting to move a shelf that is situated close to the bottom of an oven which is provided with a drop door. rlhe eleiation of the levers 1G is such as to remove the hands from a position in close proximity to the hot surface of such an oven door shelf.

The handle is capable of being applied to the shelf ivith Lereat facility and when applied, remains in the clamped or engaged position because the levers 16 are biased outwardly by the spring 18. The handle is, howeven as readily removed from the shelf. lllhen it is desired to lift relatively7 long' shelves or shelves which are too hea f'- ily loaded, two handles may be used, one near each side of the shelf. Both the hanlle and the oven shelf are of simple construction. light in Weight and can be manufactured at relatively low cost.

l claim:

1. An oven shelf handle con'lprisinev a pair of coaetino' tong levers each having a jaw portion provided with a pocket on the underside aid a laterally projecting prong' therebeyond.y

E2. n oven shelf handle comprising; au attenuated body curved into a springr at one end with the ends thereof projecting as tong levers urged apart by the springt. said ents each beine' bent at their tips to torio pockets" and laterally projectii therebeyond comprisiin;- jaw portions Vtor engaging a shelf having spaced longitudinal and transverse bars at spaced points for lifting the saine.

ln testimony whereof ture.

l affix my signallt) 

